Automatic direction of traveling bodies



M'arch 16 1926. 1,577,392

R. E. s.`vENAB| Es AUTOMATIC DIRECTION OF TRAVELING BODIES Filed nec. 9.1920 a fsa v s//sd vic Patented Niar. 1S, QES.

ROBERT EDWARD STOPFORD VENABLES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC DIRECTION OF TRAVELING vBODIES.

Application filed December 9,1920. Serial No.7429,571.

actioncperforined by hand before the body.

started on its automatic journey.

lt has been proposed that the automatic transference of a parcel at aplace in its path from one conveyer to another or to one of a number offixed receptacles shall be determined automatically by an electriccurrent flowing through one electric contact when this completes acircuit by touching another contact as the parcel approaches the placein question. Again, it has been proposed to determine the automaticsetting` of railroad switch points in a classification yard by anelectric current flowing through one contact touching another. n somecases the electric contacts which touch are both in a compactself-contained piece of apparatus situated, for instance, in a switchcabin; in other cases one contact is traveling with the parcel or car,and the other is fixed in the path of the first.

My invention is not concerned with the nature of the traveling body, orwith the way it is propelled or guided in its path, or with theautomatic means for transferring it; such means are known.

lily invention relates solely to a new and improved method of enabling asingle electrio contact which touches successively other contacts(conveniently termed track contactsl) to produce different results sothat the saine single contact can on one occasion cause one transferaction to occ-ur by touche ing one track contact, and on anotheroccasion cause a different transfer action to occur by touching the sameor another track contact; and these different automatic actions occur inconsequence of different actions performed by hand before the bodystarts on its automatic journey.

The method of my invention consists in associating with each transferaction a different one of a number'of potential points on one or moreelectric circuits, in connecting the single Contact on each occasionwith that vpotential pointwhich 'has thus been associated with thetransfer action desired on that' occasion, and in connecting with thesaine circuit a track contact which, before the action is required, 'istouched by thc single contact. Y

The accon'ipanying diagram will serve to illustrate one mode in whichthe invention can be applied in practice.

In the diagram, X is the path being followed by a traveling body (notknown) and A, B, C, Dare four paths which the body can` take, it istransferred into path A. if an electric operating circuit through a device l is closed, into path B if an operating circuit through a device lbis closed, or into path C or l) is a4 circuit through device lc or llrespectively is closed. The nature of Vthesevdevices forms no part ofthis invention: for railroad cars they may be known switch points andmotors; for parcels they may be the known apparatus depending on thetype of conveyor used. 2d and 2 are electric mains from the terminals ofa source of electricsupply, for example dynamo E. lhe leads of operatingcircuits are shown by thick lines and the current through device 1b, forenanipldpasses from main 2 by lead 8, switch t, leads 5, 6 and 7b,brushes S" joined byswitch H,- lead lb, novice lb .and lead 24" to main2n.

Switch H can rotate counter-clockwise and when it is in a position at600 from that shown, in the direction of rotation, it joins brushes 8aand so closes the operating circuit of cvice la through leads 7, lla,device la and lead 24% when it is in a position at .ii O from thatshown, in the direction of rotation it joins b lushes 10b and so closesthe opeinting` circuit through leaos 9b, il,

`device l" and lead 2th; at 18d@ from the posi` tion .shown it joinsbrushes 1553 and so closes the operating circuit through leads 9C andil, device le and lead 24C; at 240 from the posit-ion V:shown it joinsbrushes 8d and so n throughy device l" is closed twice in the course ofone revolution of the switch H, namely at the position shown, and thatat 120o from this in counter-clockwise direction. Also that theoperating circuit through device 1C is similarly closed twice, lirst atthe position 180Ao troni that shown and again at 300o from that shown.The reason for these duplications will appear presently.

The object of the remaining apparatus is to determine the position ol'switch and thereby the path :into which thetraveling body istranslft-grred, by the connection with one ol" tour different potentialpoints in one electric supply circuit a single electriccontactassociatedy with the trayeling body. 'l'his contact J is carried on aswitch-board l traveling with the body Ain the direction ot' the arrowand is shown touching a track contact L lixed in its path before thebody arrives within the control of device 1a.

i. This contact L is associated with the four different t ansier actionsperformed by the devices 1a, 1b, 1c, 11- @t the four dilerent potentialpoint-s used, two are the generator terminals, and mains 2b, 2 may bemaintained at intermediate potentials by batteries F and G. Thepotential diiterences between mains 2 and 2b, between mains 21. and Qand between mains 2C and 2 are preferably equal.

lllhen contacts J and L touch, the contacts 12, 12b, 12C, ld'on theswitch-board also touch contacts 13a, 131313, 13i respectively lxed intheir paths, which are connected by leads 111, 14h, 1%10 and 14d withnains 2n, 2b, i2, 2d respectively.v 1n the position shown, therefore,each oit the contacts 12, 12b, 12C, 12d is connected with a dierent oneof the four potential points used; these are allotted thus: ,Il the bodyis to ente-r path A, contact J is to lbe connected with ymain- 2,similarly to paths B, C and D the mains 2b, 2 and 2d respectively areallotted. The path which is to be entered is determined automatically asthe result of setting by hand,

before the body starts on its automatic journey, switch'M to connectcontact J with one ot the tour contactsla, 12b, 12C, 12d.

'T he current which flows through contact L isused to energize a relayand all the leads carrying energizing current are shown by thin lines todistinguish from those carrying operating current. ot' the type in whichthe switch in the operating circuit closes only when current ceases inthe energizing circuit. The drawing shows the position ot rest whichoccurs when switch M has been initially set on Contact 12b, as shown,and contacts .l and L have touched, and the current through them hasdied away. The arrangee inents and actions producing the result of thisoccurrence are as follows:-Tr ack contact. L is connected through lead15, field winding 16 and brushes 17 of a motor N, and leads 1S, 19 withone brush of each of The relay used is.

sir pairs of brushes 209, 202, 20c, 20d, 22h, 22 in the path of a rotaryswitch O adapted to join the brushes of one pair at a time. Switch O inthe energizing circuit and switchv H' in the operating circuit are onparallel spindles which also carry pitch wheels Y and Z respectively,driven by a pitch chain P from electric motor N which has a pitch wheelW on the shaft ol' its armature. rFhe direction orn rotation of theseseveral wheels is indicated by the arrows` and the rotation ol theswitch O is through GGO for each revolution ot the motor N. in theposition shown switch C' joins brushes 2Q" and therefore continues theconnection ol lead 18 through leads 1 9, 21",*25b with inain 2'. Bothends ot the energizing circuit being at the saine potential, no' currentflows.

But, supposing that the Apreceding traveling body entered path D andthat therefore switches H and O were left in their vertical positions,120O behind those shown, the action would have been as V'tollowsz lead15 being connected ,as above .described with mai-n 2b and lead 18 beingconnected through lead 19 brushes 20., switch 0 and lead 22d with `niain2d, energizing current flows through the winding ot' motor N; a bellcra-nic@ piroted' atthe pole-piece E turns clockwise lunder theattraction ol' the now energized pole-piece S, against the pull otspring T, and' this rlitts from heartshaped cani U on the armaturespindle the arni QF which normally holds the cani and therefore thearmature and chain P at rest, (t'z') lilts the arin Q1 and thus opensswitch el common to all the operating circuits; these two conditionslprevail as long as energizing v arrent iiows. 'The armature is revolvedby the energizing current and when switch O consequently "leaves brushes20d and then joins brushes 20C .the potential difference becomes thatbetween vmains 2l and 2 instead 'of that between mains 2b and 2d; thearmature turns through a second revolution, and energizing currentceases when switch O leaves brushes 20 and joins brushes 20", and thearn'iature is brought to rest by the pressure voiE arni Q2 .ol bell`crank Q. on carv U due to spring T, no longer opposed by the magnetpull, and .switch flf closes the operating circuit.

Each ol' the tour settings of switch M therefore connects contact J withthe corresponding potential Vpoint when it touches contact L, and theinotor, if necessary (that is to say it the second trans'ior action isnot to be the saine as the tiret), rotates switches H and O togetheruntil Aleads l5 and 1S in the energizing circuit are connected with thesaine potential point, so that for each potential point switch O has aposition of rest and switch H .completes the corresponding .operatingcircuit.

The reason for having .six instead of only tlf) four positions of theswitches H and 0 is as followsz-suppose brushes 22" and 22? omitted andbrushes 20a, 2Gb, 20c, 20d equally spaced so that brush 20d is touchednext after brush 20, and suppose contact J connected through leads 12C,14 with main 2@ and that switch O has been left joining brushes 20h.Energizing current will fiow from main 2C to main 2b, while switch 0joins brushes 20h, from main 2c to main 2 while brushes 20 are joined,and from main 2d to main 2 while brushes 20d are joined, before switch Ocomes to rest joining brushes 20C. Therefore, in the course of onemovement, energizing current through the motor N would be reversed,which is unde si `able for reliable operation, and this revers-al isavoided by duplicating symmetrically as shown all brushes except thosefor the highest and lowest of the potential used.

The object ofthe brushes 23 arranged to be touched by switch O is toprevent sparking as switch O leaves brushes such as 20a, 22h by the useof the non-inductive resistance V in the well-known manner.

lt will now be understood how great is the utility1 of my invention whenthe path has to be selected from a large number. By merely adding tothis moving body a second contact, such as J (but not touching the sametrack contacts), and a switch like Mwhich can connect it with any of thecontacts 12a, l2", 12C, 12d, then from each path determined by contactJ, one of four subsidiary paths can be determined by this secondcontact, or one out of a total of 42:16 ultimate paths. Similarly, athird contact, using the saine potential points and the same means ofconnection with one of them, gives the power of selecting one out of43:64 ultimate paths, and soon. lt is to be understood that eachliunction of a. path, such as A, with a subsidiary path is furnishedwith a device, uch as l, and that each such group of sub-V sidiary pathshas a track contact, such as L, through which a rotary relay, such asthat shown, is energized, each subsidiary path 4having one such completerelay comprising a motor, a rotary switch in its energizing circuit, arotary switch in the operating circuit, and a switch in the lattercircuit opened by energizing circuit.

Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of the saidinvention and the best means I know of carrying the same into practicaleffect, I claim l. ln a system of traveling bodies, wherein the transferaction to be performed on a bodytraveling in a set path is determined byan electric contact associated with said bodj,vv touching anotherelectric contact associated with the transfer action, a method of usingthe same contact associated with a body to cause different transferactions on different occasions, which consists in associating with eachsuch action one of a number of potential points in at least one electricsupply circuit, and in connecting the said contact on each occasion withthe potential point thus associated with the action that is then desiredto be caused.

2. ln a system of traveling bodies, wherein the transfer action to beperformed on a body traveling in a set path is determined by an electriccontact associated with the body touching another electric contactassociated with the transfer action, a method of varying the transferaction to be performed which consists in associating with each of anumber of transfer actions one of an equal number of potential points inat least one electric supply circuit, in connecting temporarily by handwith this potential point the contact associated with the body and inconnecting automaticallyv by permanent means with the same circuit anycontact which the said contact associated with the body is to touch forthe purpose of causing a transfer action.

3. In a system of traveling bodies, wherein one of a number of transferactions to be performed on a body traveling in a set path isdeterminedby an electric contact associated with the body touchinganother electric contact associated with the transfer actions, a methodof varying the transfer action to be performed from Lhat previouslyperformed, which consists in associating with each of the transferactions one of an equal number of potential points in an electric supplycircuit, in connecting temporarily the contact associated with the bodywith the potential point associated with the transfer action to beperformed upon the body, in connecting the contact associated with thetransfer actions with the potential point associated with the transferaction last performed upon the body, and using the current which therebyflows to cause a Variation in the transfer action to be nextl per-iformed.

In testimony whereof lf have signed my name to this specification.

ROBERT EDWARD STOPFORD VENABLES.

